(a) "Training Coordinating Agencies" are authorized contract
providers, designated by the department and responsible for the coordination
of child care personnel training at the district level. Each training coordinating
agency is required to establish an advisory committee to provide them with
technical assistance and recommendations to improve the quality and effectiveness
of child care training.

(b) "CDA", Child Development Associate is a national credential,
recognized throughout the United States and the world, issued by the Council
for Early Childhood Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C.

(c) "State Approved CDA Equivalency" is a training program that
has been approved by the department as meeting or exceeding the criteria established
for an equivalency program.

(2) Training Requirements.

(a) The 30-hour introductory training requirement is divided into two parts.
Part I is outlined in s. 402.305(2)(d), F.S. Part II consists of five specialized
training modules, identified below, any of which child care personnel can
choose to attend and together with Part I will complete the 30-hour training
requirement:

Developmentally appropriate practices for infants and toddlers.

Developmentally appropriate practices for young children.

Developmentally appropriate practices for school-age children.

Developmentally appropriate practices for children with special
needs.

Owners/Operators of child care programs.

(b) Child care personnel hired on or after October 1, 1992, must complete
Part I and Part II of the department's 30-hour introductory child care training
course requirement. Child care personnel hired prior to October 1, 1992, substantiated
by documentation, are required to complete Part I only.

(c) Documentation. Training certificates are issued by training coordinating
agencies upon the completion of training.

Part I must be documented on CF-FSP Form 5154, Oct. 96, the
Department's Introductory Child Care Training Course Certificate (Part
I) and Part II must be documented on CF-FSP Form 5166, Oct. 96, the Department's
Specialized Training Module Certificates (Part II), which are incorporated
by reference.

The original certificate of completion is the property of the
individual and a copy of the certificate must be included in the child
care personnel record and maintained at each facility.

(3) Exemptions from Part I of the Introductory Child Care Course.

(a) Child care personnel can be exempt from any of the four (4) introductory
child care training modules by successfully completing module exemption tests
with an eighty (80) percent or better score. Exemption tests will be offered
by the training coordinating agency, or its designee.

(b) Training coordinating agencies shall exempt child care personnel with
one of the following educational qualifications, from the Health, Safety and
Nutrition module and the Child Growth and Development module:

Two year degree or higher with 6 college credit hours in early
childhood/child growth and development.

(b) Complete the 6-hour child care trainer course developed by the department.

(c) Complete each of the training modules (Part I and Part II).

(d) Meet one of the following educational experiential credentials verified
by the training coordinating agency;

Four year college degree or higher with 6 college credit hours
in early childhood/child growth and development, plus, 480 hours experience
in a child care setting serving children ages birth through eight years
of age or a teaching certificate.

A.S. or A. A. degree in child development, plus 480 hours experience
in a child care setting serving children ages birth through eight years
of age.

Associate degree with 6 college credit hours in early childhood/child
growth and development, plus 960 hours experience in a child care setting
serving children ages birth through eight years of age.

(5) Annual In-service Training.

(a) All child care facility personnel must complete a minimum of 8-clock-hours
of in-service training annually during the state's fiscal year beginning July
I and ending June 30.

(b) The annual 8-clock-hour in-service training must be completed in, one
or more of the following areas:

health and safety; including universal precautions;

CPR/first aid;

nutrition;

child development--typical and atypical;

child transportation and safety;

behavior management;

working with families;

design and use of child oriented space;

community, health and social service resources;

child abuse;

child care for multilingual children;

working with children with disabilities in child care;

owner or operator training program;

playground safety; or

other course areas relating to child care or child care management.

(c) Documentation of the in-service training must be recorded on CF-FSP
Form 5130, Apr. 97, Child Care In-service Training Record, which is incorporated
by reference, and included in the child care facilities' personnel records.

(6) Staff Credentials.

(a) Every licensed child care facility must have one member of its child
care personnel for every 20 children with one of the following qualifications:

National Child Development Associate Credential.

Formal Educational Qualifications. Procedures for individuals
with an associate level (2 year) degree or higher seeking the credentialing
requirement are outlined on CF-FSP Form 5211, Apr. 97, Child Care Personnel
Education/Employment History Verification Form, which is incorporated
by reference.

Graduate of a state approved CDA equivalency training program.

a. Early Childhood Education Training Programs seeking equivalency
to the CDA should submit a completed CF-FSP Form 5191, Apr. 97, Application
for CDA Equivalency for Training Programs, which is incorporated by
reference, to the department for approval.

b. The criterion for programs wishing to be recognized as a state
approved CDA equivalency is determined by the department and is outlined
on the Application for CDA Equivalency for Training Programs.

Employment History Recognition Exemption

a. In addition to the requirements and time frames established
in statute, employment history experience must include a minimum of
15 hours per week per year or 540 hours per year working with children
in a licensed, registered or exempt child care program as defined
in s. 402.301, F.S., or teaching experience in a public or private
school.

b. Documentation of employment history recognition must include
notarized letters indicating previous employment or other forms of
documentation such as W-2 forms, licensing records, or income tax
return forms for each place of employment.

(b) Periods of Transition

Child care personnel meeting the credentialing requirement in
(a) l.--4. of this section must work at the facility during normal periods
of time excluding opening, closing, nap time, lunch and free time. A credentialed
person must be on-site a minimum of 20 hours per week.

Children who are five years old and above when they are enrolled
in and attending a kindergarten program or grades one and above are excluded
from the calculation for purposes of determining the number of personnel
necessary to meet the ratio.

(c) Verification of Education and Employment History

Child care personnel seeking satisfaction of the credentialing
requirement, in (a) I . --4. of this section, must submit all documentation
to the child care owner or operator for whom they are presently employed.
Child care owners or operators are responsible for completing, verifying
and having notarized CF-FSP Form 5211, Apr. 97, Child Care Personnel Education
and Employment History Verification Form. Child care owners or operators
seeking satisfaction of the credentialing requirement must submit all
documentation to their local training coordinating agency for processing.

Upon receipt of the completed forms, the training coordinating
agency will issue CF-FSP Form 5206, Sep. 97, Child Care Personnel Professional
Development Confirmation Form, which is incorporated by reference, to
the child care personnel, owner or operator who submitted the application.

A copy of the Child Care Personnel Professional Development
Confimmation Form must be maintained on-site at the facility, in the employee
personnel file, for review by child care licensing staff. The original
is the property of the child care personnel.

(d) Calculation of Number of Personnel Necessary

Child care facilities with 19 or less children or which operate
less than eight (8) hours per week are not subject to the credentialing
requirement.

For every 20 children, a child care facility must have one child
care personnel who meets the credentialing requirement. Based on this
formula, child care facilities with 20--39 children must have one credentialed
staff member; facilities with 40--59 children must have 2 credentialed
staff members, and so on.

3 Volunteers who meet the credentialing requirement will be included
in calculating the credentialing ratio.

The department will calculate the number of credentialed personnel
required based on daily attendance.

In addition to CF-FSP Form, 5206, Sep. 97, Child Care Personnel
Professional Development Confirmation Form, child care facilities must
have available written documentation of credentialed personnel's work
schedules. Examples of written documentation are employee time sheets,
personnel work schedules, and employment records.